[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: You say as a screenwriter you learn to pitch in two sentences. How did you pitch Chasing 3000? What was your two-sentence pitch?
Bill Mikita, Screenwriter: This is a story set in 1972 about two brothers who take off across country and a race against time to see their hero Roberto Clemente get his 3,000th hit and along the way the brothers learn the importance of being brothers.
Film Courage: Did anyone ever tell you to shorten that? It’s great. I love it.
Bill: When I pitched, one producer at a studio (it was Warners Brothers) said It’s Rain Man with a baseball theme.
Kind of…I never thought of it that way but the elements are there. The one brother is disabled… I guess he’s right. I don’t know if I ever pitched Aliens, Jaws In Space right. Those are some of those classic pitches of two or three lines or words to pitch their screenplay.
Film Courage: Why was this story worth fighting for?
Bill: I think it’s because as I said it’s important. It’s a unique story. I can say without hesitation that my relationship with my brother was unique. I don’t know if you could find two other brothers like us and because of that growing up I felt we were interesting.
Let me tell you this, our story is so unique that a woman contacted me on Facebook. She sent me a friend request. She watched the movie with her husband. She turned to her husband after the movie and she said I think these two boys lived across the street from my grandfather. We did. She was only 6 years old and she remembered us…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
WATCH ‘CHASING 3000’
CONNECT WITH BILL MIKITA
About:
Bill Mikita was born in Steubenville, Ohio, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Brewer’s Boys, Chasing 3000 (2010) and Medal of Honor: American Heroes. He has been married to Pattie White Mikita since February 25, 1978. They have four children.
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Film Courage is hosting an online class, Saturday, April 12, 2025
11 Steps To Writing A Great Character – Story Questions Writing Workshop
More info on Eventbrite here.
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Other books on Amazon that Film Courage recommends – https://buff.ly/3o0oE5o
